Keeping the Treasured Memory of that Successful Turkey Hunt

Keeping the Treasured Memory of that Successful Turkey Hunt

by Amy Lignor

When the hunt is over and that wild turkey “trophy” has been nabbed, the final step is making the decision on how best to display that memory in your home. For the coming years, being able to stare at that trophy and think back on that awesome day is something everyone wants to do. Therefore, everything from space requirements to budget has to be taken into consideration when heading to the taxidermy stage.

The first thing you need to consider is the quality of your specimen. Such as, if the bird is damaged in one specific area, minimizing this problem by choosing the pose that’s best to hide the damage is a must. Say one wing is in bad shape, the option of choosing a side view “pose” would conceal that damage. Or…if the problem resides in the tail of the trophy, a full-fan or strutting pose would be poor choices in order to make that treasured keepsake look its absolute best.

There are five categories of basic poses when it comes to turkey mounting; these are divided into strutting, flying, standing/walking, gobbling/roosting, as well as ‘dead’ mounts. And when you are judging the space needed to properly display the trophy bird, it must be taken into consideration that the strutting and standing mounts will need a good deal of table or floor space, whereas the other mounts available are generally considered to be wall hangings.

You must also choose whether or not you wish to keep the gobbler as a ‘lone statue’ or actually place it into a habitat scene. By adding that extra bit of color and texture, you can actually transform your mount into a true ‘tale’ that will captivate any audience that lays eyes on it.

Taxidermists will tell you that the “Strutting Tom Pose” is literally the most beautiful and majestic pose available. The feathers puffed out gives the mount optimum visual effect, so if your specimen is undamaged when it comes to feathers, tail and wings, the strutting pose is most definitely the one to choose. Displayed on a base, you can then be as simple with the mount or as artistic as you want to be. Woodland and forest scenes offer a back-drop that will remind you of the day you harvested the bird and can really create a custom work of art. In addition, if room availability is slim, a full strut mount, a three-quarter strut, or a half-strut, can be created in a pre-finished wall base which will save on space and bring the turkey up to eye level, increasing the visual beauty.

The “Standing/Walking Tom Pose,” is an excellent choice if space is slim or if there happens to be damage done to the wings or tail. With an earth base and habitat scenery, this is a pose that will most definitely show off your trophy in its best light.

If looking for the perfect wall hanging, the “Gobbling/Roosting Tom Pose” most definitely emphasizes a large beard and spurs that are ideal. Mounted on an artificial turkey limb, this creation keeps your successful hunt looking great.

If you happen to be lucky enough to have that large wall space and enough ceiling height that you can properly fill with an impressive display, the “Flying Tom Pose” is the way to go. When dealing with a flying pose, the taxidermist can mount the specimen without any panel or use a finished wood panel/artificial bark as a scenic back-drop.

And if looking for a work of art that’s reminiscent of a true artistic master, the hanging “Dead Mount” can be created in a barn-wood shadow box, placed beside other artifacts from the hunt, such as shotgun shells or turkey calls. This type of display truly commemorates that special day.

One reminder, if your specimen happens to have sustained a great deal of damage, there are still choices to be had. A barn-wood turkey tail panel can be used to display just the fanned tail and beard of your wild turkey, and will also save on cost and space.

But whatever decision you make, bringing that piece of Mother Nature into the home and creating that special reminder is the ultimate wrap-up to the turkey hunt!

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